Magnificent Mona!

Leonardo Da Vinci was and still is a very influential and infamous painter and sculpter of the Renaissance Age. He created a path to all future art forms, and paved the way to show that art is a fascinating way to express the creativity in the mind of a human being.

Among many of Leo's works, though all are great, probably the most well-known and well-done painting to hit the world's art shelves was and is to this day, the gorgeous Mona Lisa. "La Giocanda", as she is often called in Italy, is supposedly the best representation of the perfect female figure. The famous art figure, known as Mona, has the exact measurements of what the face and head proportions would be on the perfect female figure.

Often, when people from around the world go to visit The Louvre, in Paris, France, they often wonder....."Why is Mona Lisa smiling?" Could it be that she is thinking of a man, or that something amazing has caught her eye? Or perhaps Da Vinci wanted to show the underlying happiness and joy he felt while painting her, by capturing that mysterious smile the world knows of on her face today. Whatever the reason may be, only Leonardo can know.

Famous art scholars, both in the modern and ancient worlds, have suspected as to why they think that Mr. Da Vinci painted Mona the way that he did. As we all can suspect, the reason that the Mona Lisa IS so famous, is due to the theft she experienced in the year 1911. All in all, the Mona Lisa, is one of the most, if not THE most, magnificent piece of artwork ever to be painted in the world as we know it.

The life of William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare. (1564-1616)

Introduction.

William Shakespeare was a man who absolutely changed history. He redirected the way poetry and plays were to be written for the generations to come. His outlook on the world and how to write about it were so different from that of his time, and any other time period to come. His creativity inspired love, beauty, imagination, and zaniness to flow from any paper. He wrote beautiful stage plays on which some of the most famous works in all of history come from, such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. The life of William Shakespeare was that like no other, and thus his name being remembered for years and years after his death.

Early Life.

Will was born in 1564, in a small England town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Many believe his actual birthdate to be the 23rd of April, due to his baptism being on the 26th of April. This is probably because babies were baptized three days after birth, as customary. If this birthdate were to be deemed fully accurate, then William Shakespeare was most likely born on the infamous English holiday of St. George's Day.

His parents, John and Mary Shakespeare, were popular people within their town, and his father had the business of being the town glover, tanner, town official, as well as a prominent businessman. Will's mother, Mary, was a stay-at-home mother whose loyalty was to the caretaking of her seven children. Even though William had six other siblings, only four of his brothers and his sister Judith, survived to adulthood.

William Shakespeare's education was that of only the eighth grade education. However, this level of education is equal to that of a Master's Degree education in college today. Of course Will learned to read and write, however when writing his sonnets and plays later on, used a majority of his invented words to describe and express his creativity through words.

In 1582, William Shakespeare married an older woman by the name of Anne Hathaway. Eighteen year old Will married a twenty-six year old Anne, who at the time was a couple months pregnant with William's child. Most of Stratford-upon-Avon's townspeople saw this as such a scandal, that many turned away from socializing with the newlywed couple. Seven short months following this marriage, a daughter, Susanna was born. Then, in winter 1592, Anne and William had twins Hamnet and Judith. Sadly, a few short years later, in 1596, Will's only son Hamnet, died. Anne, loyal to the caretaking of her two children, remained in Stratford-upon-Avon for the rest of her life. William however, traversed all around Europe while writing some of his most famous works.

Works and Words.

William Shakespeare wrote many, many differentiating poems, sonnets, and plays. Many of these plays are still in production all over the world today. His sonnets, most famously known is the "Shakespearean Sonnet", are memorized in classrooms and countries all over. These poems, although written long ago, are still applicable and understandable to modern minds today. Such sonnets include, "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?".

Shakespeare also coined many famous phrases, terms, and words that are in frequent use today. Some of these include, "To be or not to be...that is the question", "Eaten out of house and home", "Seen better days", and "The world is my oyster". These are only some of the vast number of phrases that Shakespeare created, in which are still in use to date. Catchy phrases were not the only thing that Shakespeare created that are still in popular use, yet everyday words as well. Some of the words he coined include "fashionable", "bedazzle", "nimble-footed", "vulnerable", and "sanctimonious".

His works are some of the most well-known poems and well-loved plays that the world knows of today. William's plays include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and the oh so infamous A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Romeo and Juliet, the general public of today's world still connects with the idea of forbidden love being so seductively craved. People probably know this play to be the most famous of the list of plays mentioned. Also, perhaps we are to conclude that Romeo and Juliet were just a couple of teenagers who lusted after one another and found it so indulging because the families of the two lovers forbade their togetherness.

The End to "The Bard".

The death of William Shakespeare was that of a concrete one. William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on April 23rd, 1616, the same date as that of his birthday. However, much can be said of William and his very impactful life. He left great imprints on all societies for generations to come. The way he crafted words was so imaginative and creative that it is often said that Shakespeare was the best playwright and poet to ever live. His legacy will live on in the hearts of everyone for years to come.

Pieta!

"Pieta"
by
Michelangelo

Pieta, a magnificent sculpture created by the infamous Michelangelo, was produced when the amazing artist was only 24 years old, in 1499.

Vasari said this of the Pieta, ""It is certainly a miracle that a formless block of stone could ever have been reduced to a perfection that nature is scarcely able to create in the flesh."

The Pieta is a marble, 174 cm high sculpture of the virgin Mary, holding Jesus, after his brutal death. It is located to this day in St. Peter's Basilica,located in Rome.

My opinion of Pieta, is that it is beautiful. I know that sounds very bland and simple, but if you look at the faces within the sculpture, it represents Jesus and his virgin mother, Mary, in a whole new light. The intricate details within the statue are so carefully expressed. When I see the Pieta, I can feel the sorrow of Mary, and the wonderful sacrifice that Jesus gave on the brutal cross.

Can you see these children with no voice? Let's help give them one.

Invisible Children, an organization started in order to give a voice to the voiceless, the children effected by the 20 year war in the Sudan/Ugandan area of Africa. The 20 year war, started by a Mr. Joseph Kony, was in order for him to obtain power of the Sudanese/Ugandan government in Africa. Kony then knew he had to obtain an army somehow, in order to overthrow the local government. Joseph Kony, a man who can know be seen as just as much of a devil as Hitler or Saddam or you fill-in-the-blank, decided on making his army by ubducting and kidnapping children in the African villages by night, and then forcing these children to be tortured and brainwashed into thinking that fighting and killing without a care in the world was okay and the right thing that needed to be done. Some of the children were even brutally murdered in front of their friend's eyes to show that escaping and refusing to fight would result in deathly consequences. The abductions, kidnappings, and rapings of these childen makes them turn into savage child soldiers who fight in Kony's army, abduct more children (some they possibly even know), and then kill and fight some more.This terrifying tale still is in practice today and is still being conducted every night in the Sudan. This IS the story of the Invisible Children in Africa. So know that you know that...HERE is where my news story really comes into play.

Recently, the Sudanese government has been given the chance to hold some minute peace talks with Joseph Kony and they are seeing this as a possible ray of hope. Joseph Kony, leader of the 20 year old LRA (Lord's Resistance Army), was expected to show up to talk with the government on Sunday, however, he sent his 14 year old son, Salim Saleh Kony, to make an appearance instead. Salim did not utter a word in order to obtain peace. So to us, the outside looking in, it would seem as though Kony does not want peace, however others would disagree. However, no one can be certain what Kony's attitude and motive is to all of this. If he will listen, maybe then these kids can be given a chance to live and end this war, or if he refuses to listen, then we the American people can step in and provide aide out of this horrific war. Either way, our assistance to these children and their families, is not unnoticed or unwanted or even unneeded. That is why Invisible Children, can even help us to provide the funds and the EVERYTHING that these African people need in order to obtain an everyday peace in their lives. Why wouldn't you want to be apart of something like this? I know that this is where my heart lies, with those children in Africa, and that I hopefully with some friends, will be able to go visit there someday and see for myself the destruction and the pain that this war has caused the families and people of the Sudan. It is apart of our world, and we know that God is asking us to aide this situation to be the worldchangers He beckons us to be. Ghandi once said, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." Let us take this cause and run with it, to be the change we wish to see.

Give a voice to the voiceless. They need your voice to speak for them.